Microbial community in washing machine biofilm sample

Current understanding of washing machine biofilms remains limited in terms of their structural characteristics and microbial diversity. The objective of this study was to investigate microbial biofilms formed on front-load and top-load washing machines. We disassembled 12 washing machines and collected a total of 180 biofilms from six different components including the drain bellows, gasket, pulsator, drum, tub, and detergent drawer.